Catharanthus plant named &#39;suncatfe 291&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Catharanthus plant named ‘Suncatfe 291’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; freely flowering habit; long flowering period; relatively small star-shaped light red purple-colored flowers with dark red purple-colored centers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Catharanthus roseus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNCATFE 291’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Catharanthus plant, botanically known as Catharanthus roseus and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Suncatfe 291’.

The new Catharanthus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new compact and freely branching Catharanthus plants with numerous small attractive flowers.

The new Catharanthus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in September, 2013 of a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation FS8239, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation VP8507, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Catharanthus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan in September, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Catharanthus plant by vegetative tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since December, 2015, has shown that the unique features of this new Catharanthus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Catharanthus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Suncatfe 291’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Suncatfe 291’ as a new and distinct Catharanthus plant:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely basal branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Relatively small star-shaped light red purple-colored flowers         with dark red purple-colored centers.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have light pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Catharanthus differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Catharanthus have smaller flowers than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Catharanthus and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have light purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Catharanthus can be compared to plants of the Catharanthus roseus ‘Suncatha 2439’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,477. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Catharanthus differ from plants of ‘Suncatha 2439’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Catharanthus are shorter and narrower than         plants of ‘Suncatha 2439’.     -   2. Plants of the new Catharanthus have thicker stems than plants         of ‘Suncatha 2439’.     -   3. Plants of the new Catharanthus and ‘Suncatha 2439’ differ in         flower color as plants of ‘Suncatha 2439’ have flowers that are         dark red purple in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Catharanthus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Catharanthus plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suncatfe 291’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Suncatfe 291’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late summer and early autumn in 20-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 25° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs were taken and five months old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Catharanthus roseus ‘Suncatfe 291’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation FS8239,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Catharanthus roseus identified as code designation VP8507,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 30° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About five             weeks at temperatures about 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             weeks at temperatures about 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual             color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,             water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, semi-upright and uniformly             mounding plant habit; freely basal branching habit with             numerous basal and secondary branches developing per plant;             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 32 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 23 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 4.8 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 8 mm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright to outwardly.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Close to 145D tinged with close to 60D. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Quantity and arrangement.—About 18 per lateral branch;             opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 2.6 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.25 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Rounded.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to NN137B; venation,             close to 145C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 138A; venation, close to 145D.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 5.2 mm. Diameter: About 1.1 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 145C tinged with close to 59D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single star-shaped salverform             flowers arising from upper leaf axils; freely flowering             habit with more than 200 to 250 small flowers developing per             plant; flowers face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering habit.—Plants begin flowering about two to three             weeks after planting; long flowering period, in the garden,             plants flower continuously from the early summer to late             autumn in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to three             days on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Shape: Narrowly ovoid with cylindrical tube. Color: Towards             the base, close to 145C tinged with close to 35D;             mid-section, close to 145B; towards the apex, close to             NN155B.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Flower length (depth).—About 2.2 cm.         -   Tube length.—About 1.9 cm.         -   Tube diameter, proximally.—About 1 mm.         -   Tube diameter, distally.—About 1.5 mm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals in a single whorl fused at             the base into a tube. Petal length from throat: About             1.2 cm. Petal width: About 4.3 mm. Petal shape: Narrowly             elliptic to oblanceolate. Petal apex: Acute. Petal margin:             Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal, when opening, upper surface:             Close to 75B; eye, close to 59A. Petal, when opening, lower             surface: Close to N155B. Petal, fully opened, upper surface:             Close to N74D; towards the base, close to 66B; eye, close to             59B; color does not change with development. Petal, fully             opened, lower surface: Close to N155B; towards the apex,             close to N74D; color does not change with development.             Throat: Proximally, close to 145D; distally, close to 145C.             Tube: Proximally, close to 145C tinged with close to 35D;             distally, close to 145B.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped tubular calyx with five             sepals fused towards the base. Length: About 1.4 mm.             Diameter: About 1.6 mm. Sepal length: About 1.4 mm. Sepal             width: About 0.4 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate. Sepal apex:             Acuminate. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 144C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 0.9 mm.             Angle: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 145C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Anther size: About 1.3 mm by 0.6 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly             elliptic. Anther color: Close to 11D. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 11D. Pistils: Quantity per flower:             One. Pistil length: About 1.5 cm. Style color: Close to             157D. Stigma shape: Globose. Stigma color: Close to 144B.             Ovary color: Close to 144B. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit             development have not been observed on plants of the new             Catharanthus to date. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Catharanthus have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain     and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. to 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Catharanthus have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Catharanthus plants to date. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Catharanthus plant named ‘Suncatfe 291’ as illustrated and described. 